In the world where the Taellaneth exists, magic is real and in common use. The three dominant races, the Erith, the Shifkin and humans, have an uneasy peace.
The series follows Arrow, a magician raised and trained by the Erith but despised by them. The Erith see her as a useful tool, nothing more. But Arrow is much more than that.
Title: The Taellaneth
Author: Vanessa Nelson
Genres: Fantasy > Urban Fantasy > Magic / Shapeshifters / Demons / Fae
Read Format: Kindle Edition
Total Pages: 1,435
Reading Date: 08th November 2025 – 02nd December 2025
The reading order – How to Read The Taellaneth Series by Vanessa Nelson
- 1 Concealed
- 2 Revealed
- 3 Betrayed
- 4 Tainted
- 5 Cloaked
Concealed
A fragile peace, a suspicious death, and secrets that could destroy everyone.
Oath-bound to the arrogant Erith in exchange for her life, Arrow’s freedom is days away when they set her one last task; investigate the death of a high-ranking shape-changer, one of their old enemies.
The shape-changers suspect the Erith of murder, and Arrow nearly becomes the first victim in a new war between races. She’s given a chance to seek answers. Except she’s digging into secrets someone doesn’t want uncovered. Not only is her freedom at risk, but so is her life. It will take all of her skill with magic to live long enough to find the answers in time to avert a bloodbath.
My thoughts…
In a world where humans, magic users and Shifkin, AKA shapeshifters, co-exist on shaky ground, problems arise that threaten the already fragile relationships. It falls to Arrow, the story’s heroine, to save the day.
Born of mixed heritage, Arrow is considered an abomination. In Taellaneth, the Erith despise her—the girl with a human face and silver sparks in her eyes. Arrow is powerful and clever, but she conceals her true strength and poses as a mid-range magic user.
Her life in Taellaneth is miserable. She is bound by an oath to serve the people who hate her, clinging to their promise that after fifteen years of service, they will release her. In return, Arrow is allowed to stay alive and to study at the academy. Until then, she endures bullying, lives in poor conditions, and dutifully runs errands for them like a slave.
Her mission in the Shifkin’s territory, to help out investigating the death of the Prime’s mate, illustrates this. It is the moments when she finally gets good sleep, better food and is treated fairly.
Why must you read this book?
So, if you enjoy a strong-willed heroine with a hidden superpower and unknown parentage, this is the book for you.👍
What I liked about this book is not limited to the mystery element and the adventure. I also like the main character. Arrow’s maturity and her fierce will to survive make her a likeable character.
The descriptive details also help make it easier to become fully immersed in this fantasy world. I sympathise with Arrow during hardship and feel elated for her during the breakthroughs and when she uses her hidden power.
Actions are plentiful in this book, and the long fight scenes near the end are especially satisfying! They left me eager for the next book. I hope Arrow finally receives recognition from the Erith for her efforts, though I very much doubt it.❤️
Revealed
A killer caught, the mastermind still at large, and an exile growing into her power.
Arrow’s freedom from the Erith is finally in her grasp.
But there is a rogue magician at large. Ruthless, determined, and skilled in unclean magic, the powerful rogue threatens everyone and everything, including the life Arrow wants to live.
With the true strength of her magical power unlocked, Arrow may be the only one who can stop him.
My thoughts…
I absolutely love the continuation of Arrow’s story. It is full of action like the first book, but this time the world expands beyond Taellaneth and Shifkin territory, and we also explore the human side. As the title implies, some long-held secrets are finally revealed.
As I suspected, Arrow still does not receive the recognition she so clearly deserves after everything she accomplished in book one. The elder continues to treat her like a tool and shows no appreciation for her efforts. Fortunately, she has the full support of the Shifkin, and because the Erith still need her help in neutralising the demon threat, she now travels with an entourage of bodyguards.
But Arrow, being Arrow, is used to working alone and finds it difficult to socialise. She often slips away from her protection detail and wanders off on her own, which results in her being injured more than once. In the romance department, we finally see something, albeit a small one. Will it develop? We will have to wait and see.
That said, I am honestly a little nervous about reading the next book, especially with the title: Betrayed. I hate seeing Arrow suffer even more. She barely gets to enjoy the small luxuries she deserves. 😢
Betrayed
A missing war mage. Death in the heartland.
Settling into her new life in the human world, the last thing Arrow expects is a request for aid from the Erith. The Erith’s favourite war mage is missing, and Arrow is asked to investigate.
For the first time in her life, she is allowed into the Erith’s fabled heartland. It does not take long for Arrow to realise that the heartland is like the Erith themselves. Full of wonder, breathtakingly beautiful, and deadly.
Arrow is drawn into investigating a death at the very heart of the Erith’s homeland, with the growing sense that there is far more wrong and far more at stake than a simple murder and missing mage.
My thoughts…
A new problem arises in the heartlands of Erith, specifically in the palace. Although Arrow is an exile, her service is still highly sought by those who valued her in Taellaneth.
Appointed by the preceptor as an Inquirer Extraordinary, she is to be given any means of help and the authority to open any door for the duration of her mission in the heartlands. Thus, making her a second only to the Queen in terms of authority and power.
However, the Taellan still show her little respect and causes problems, which makes it harder for her to carry out the tasks of finding the missing Erith and catching the killer on the loose. The latter task comes as a direct request from the Queen.
In the Heartlands, we also learn more about her lineage, including her birth name. Meanwhile, love remains a low priority in Vanessa’s book. After the near absence of romantic elements in books one and two, book three attempts to explore that theme.
However, readers who are looking for a full romance will be disappointed because it appears only briefly in chapter one and again in the final chapter. That said, it is believable that Arrow unintentionally dismisses a courtship gift because she is clueless about such things, given her upbringing. With what we learn in the last chapter, perhaps it will develop into something more in the next book.
Anyway, I cannot wait to see what awaits Arrow, or should we start calling her Mealla vel Liathius? Before I finish this ramble, one detail still nags at me. Since she is busy with an ongoing project for the Shifkin, it seems odd that she did not at least tell them she would be away to help the Erith. Just saying. 😁.
Tainted
Peace at breaking point. A dark and ambitious conspiracy. A lethal adversary.
Woken from sleep by intruders, Arrow is shocked to realise that humans have managed to break through her wards. This was no simple break-in. It quickly becomes clear this was just part of a series, and the Erith’s ancient enemies may be involved.
Worse than that, the peace treaty that holds shape-changers, humans and Erith from all-out war is on the brink of collapse.
Arrow is once more in the middle of a deadly power struggle.
My thoughts…
Book four raises the stakes in every direction. Instead of slowing down, the plot intensifies. This time, we not only explore human territory but also visit the realm of Surjusi, AKA the demons.
I cannot say enough how much I love Arrow’s adventure. We have seen her grow so much over the past four books, and I am eager to discover what awaits her in the final instalment. So far, the series has taken us through every territory mentioned in the story.
Perhaps we will see positive changes in Taellan and on the human side. The Shifkin appear to be in good hands, and the Erith still owe Arrow the recognition she deserves and a chance at a happily ever after. 🤞
Cloaked
The world itself is in peril.
Arrow’s sleep is being disturbed by nightmares that she cannot remember when awake. Her days are spent trying to build her new, simple life in the human world and helping the shape-changers track down the last conspirators that tried to destroy the Erith.
But the Erith want her help one last time. The Erith heartland needs a new monarch, and the Erith require Arrow’s presence for the selection.
Nothing is that simple, though, and Arrow finds herself dealing with betrayal that could tear the heartland apart. She will need all her skills and the help of the few people she trusts to prevent the destruction of the heartland and the world.
My thoughts…
It’s a no-brainer! This series deserves a full five stars. From the very first book to the last, it delivers a wonderful reading experience filled with action, rich world-building, and characters who each have distinct personalities.
In this five-book series, we witness remarkable growth. Friendships forming, alliances secured, respect earned, and love developing. The pacing is steady, and the storyline flows smoothly, keeping me engaged without ever feeling rushed or dragged.
Arrow herself is a heroine worth praising. She is fabulous, down to earth, quick-thinking, and flawed in ways that make her believable. Her reactions are understandable, and her resilience makes her easy to admire.
As we step into her life, we also become wary of the Erith race, whose arrogance is evident time and again. No matter how much Arrow does to help them, they never truly change. Fortunately, a new ruler has emerged, and perhaps in the future, if we return to this world, we may see some positive changes.
It would be exciting if Vanessa explored the idea of combining heroines from her different series into one team to battle evil. That crossover would be fascinating, much like J.C. Diem’s work. For now, I am moving on to the next heroine in the Hundred series, and I hope she leaves as strong an impression as Arrow has.
